


Home Is Wherever I'm With You

by obitoforpresident (Bibixblocksberg)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Getting Together, Good Uchiha Obito, Home, M/M, Mild Smut, Missing-Nin, Uchiha Obito Lives, Wolf-Teeth Kakashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:21:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28266807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bibixblocksberg/pseuds/obitoforpresident
Summary: Kakashi discovers that people can be ahome, too.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 11
Kudos: 163





	Home Is Wherever I'm With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kakayamaforever (ASchwartz33)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASchwartz33/gifts).



> Written as a gift for the exchange on the Flying Thunder God discord server.
> 
> Allison, I really hope you like this. Your _what if_ was running away with me and I hope it's fluffy enough! This is also a little thank you for always letting me rant at you and for being such an amazing friend. I love you, buddy!

It was a sunny day in Konohagakure. The sky was a cloudless blue, birds were chirping happily while sitting in the trees which were littered all over the village, as Kakashi Hatake made the most important decision of his life. 

He was fifteen years old, still a kid in the eyes of many, but he was a shinobi for far too many years already. His heart was feeling heavy in his chest, like something which didn’t belong to him. It felt like a massive stone, even if not like an overly solid one. To be honest, it felt more like a stone which would undoubtedly break if it would fall on the floor one more time. 

Kakashi was tired, his bones and mind exhausted, and he couldn’t help but to ask himself if that was how he was supposed to feel like. Was this how life felt for everyone? Was life something which made your knees weak on a daily basis and was ripping your soul into too many pieces again and again? Was life really supposed to tear on your heartstrings and more importantly – 

Was it something you wouldn’t mind throwing in the next trash-bin?

Shouldn’t life be something full of happiness and joy and sunshine and warmth? Shouldn’t it make you smile and hope that you’ll wake up to chirping birds again tomorrow morning? And if it was supposed to be like _that_ \- why wasn’t his life like that?

Kakashi had spent his years since his father’s early and self-inflicted death with watching the various people around him. He didn’t make a difference between observing civilians, shinobi or someone he was close to like Minato-sensei. He was just watching, sometimes mesmerized and fascinated, how everyone in the village was smiling at least once a day, how they made their way home to people they loved and treasured.

The thought that he wanted this too crossed his mind quite often. He wanted to smile, to brush his calloused fingers over the skin of someone he loved. He wanted to have a skip in his every step, wanted to stop on his way home to take a whiff of flowers blooming at the wayside. But there was something preventing that, something rotten and foul deep inside him, and he had a hard time losing it.

He knew that with the life he was currently stuck in, he wouldn’t reach the goal of having people at his side he could call home. His life was already falling apart at the edges, pieces of it were digging uncomfortably into his ribs, and he just knew that he had to change _something_ , anything really.

Because the last forty-eight hours had shown him that there actually were people, he could call home, which he longed for to call his home and he had to take another path in life. He had never anticipated that he would be ready to play with the thought of taking another direction, but now that those thoughts invaded his mind, he couldn’t think of anything else.

One of his comrades had almost died. His best – no, his first – friend had nearly slipped off from the surface of earth, and it had opened Kakashi’s eyes. Obito Uchiha had been lying under six feet of rock, his dark eyes – otherwise full of life, love and laughter – had been emotionless, and Kakashi couldn’t do more than to hold his hand like it was a direct string to his heart. 

For Kakashi it had been devastating to see the life slowly creeping out of the one person he could truly call a _friend_. Even if Kakashi needed years to see the bond between them – now, he couldn’t imagine living without the other boy at his side.

Besides from that – he didn’t _want_ to live without Obito, without his boisterous laughter and his sticky hands and his annoying ticks which never failed to get Kakashi’s hackles up. He had thought that he had lost him, had made his way out of the cave with Rin by his side and tears prickling in his eyes. 

Rin had been silent, broken beyond repair. Rin who was normally the embodiment of sunshine on earth, had cried and screamed and trashed, had begged for Kakashi to do something. He hadn’t known what to do, had cursed the academy and everything about his hometown, because _why didn’t they teach you how to turn off your emotions when one of your comrades was dying all alone in a godforsaken cave_?

It was the first time that Kakashi had truly and fully understood why his father had done what he did all those years ago. He finally understood why Sakumo had saved his comrades instead of going through with his mission because Kakashi wanted to do exactly that right now, too. 

But in contrast to his father, Kakashi couldn’t save Obito. He was too weak, not enough of a strong shinobi to do anything and Kakashi wished for nothing more than to die right here, right now, too. How was it fair, that his own heart was still beating inside of his chest, if Obito’s was not?

Kakashi and Rin had been sitting in front of the cave on the muddy ground, hands intertwined with blood drying between them, as – to his immense surprise – Minato had been suddenly in front of them. Worry clouded sky-blue eyes as he watched them sitting on the ground, and moments later Minato jumped into the cave in which Obito was buried. 

There had been a woman at Minato’s side which looked vaguely familiar, but Kakashi had been too exhausted, too tired and sad, to pay it much attention. He was only breathing again as Minato was back again, Obito’s lifeless form tugged into his arms. 

His sensei had given him instructions then, had told him to take Rin back to the village and that Minato himself would use the flying thunder god technique to get Obito into a hospital as quick as possible. Minato had taken the blonde woman with him, not before she gave him and Rin a look full of warmth and hope, and only as he and Rin both had made it safely back to the village, did Kakashi realize that the woman had been the legendary Tsunade Senju. 

The sannin rescued Obito, spent hours upon hours in an operation room to heal him with everything within her power, and as she was finally coming into the hallway where they waited for news, a small smile on her lips, Kakashi had done something which was totally abnormal for him. 

He had hugged her, had clung to her shoulders and sobbed into her disinfectant-smelling hair. Tsunade had done nothing else than to rub his back, and it had reminded him so much of his father that he couldn’t help but to cry even more. He didn’t know how long he had cried, but in the end Kakashi couldn’t care less.

He couldn’t care when Obito had nearly died, when his first friend was nearly lost to the world. 

And now, Kakashi was sitting in his friend’s hospital room, his gaze roaming outside of the window and his feet propped up next to Obito’s sleeping form on the bed. Rin and sensei were visiting every other hour to see if the boy had already woken up, and neither of them made a comment about Kakashi’s inability to leave Obito’s side. He wouldn’t have gone home anyway.

Kakashi knew that he had to stink abysmal, that his uniform was still full of dried blood and worse, but he wanted to be here when Obito finally woke up again. He wanted to be there to see black eyes full of life again, wanted to tell Obito about the decision he had made, while Tsunade had been busy rescuing the Uchiha.

He knew that his decision, his words would shock the Uchiha, because – well, it had surprised Kakashi, too. But – 

The hazy flattering of long, dark lashes was stopping Kakashi mid-thought. He was instantly leaning over the form of his friend, was watching fascinated as black eyes slowly peeled themselves open. Kakashi’s breath was hitching in his lungs as he saw the familiar lively sparkle in black eyes again and a sob rippled out of his mouth. 

He wasn’t able to think about his next actions. Kakashi was nearly throwing himself on Obito’s chest, his hands clinging to the hospital gown Obito was wearing desperately, and he couldn’t stop his tears from falling. A cough sounded above him, but seconds later a hand was carefully patting Kakashi’s silver hair and Kakashi couldn’t –

“Bakakashi?”

Obito’s voice sounded raw and raspy, and Kakashi straightened up, his hands instantly reaching for a cup of water standing on the bedside table. He gave it to his friend, the Uchiha drinking greedily and he send Kakashi a quiet thanks in the form of twitching lips and twinkling eyes. Kakashi was sitting down on his chair again, one of his hands carefully intertwining themselves with Obito’s. His heart skipped a small beat as Obito didn’t pull his hand away.

“How am I alive?”

Confusion was shining in Obito’s eyes, Kakashi instantly squeezing the hand he was holding in silent reassurance. Kakashi began explaining in a quiet voice, his thumb brushing over Obito’s hand every so often. He told him about Minato’s sudden arrival, about how their sensei had wondrously met Tsunade Senju at the battlefield, how she had decided to follow Minato along as the blonde man had gotten the feeling that something wasn’t _right_ with his team. 

Kakashi explained how Tsunade was one of the best shinobi in the medic field, if not the best, and how she had healed and patched Obito up. Obito’s eyes were wandering down to the patched skin of his right arm as Kakashi told him everything that had happened, and he reluctantly let Obito’s hand out of his hold as it was clear that the older boy wanted to inspect his newly won scars and unnatural skin. 

Kakashi was unbelievable glad that Obito looked at his skin more curious than disgusted, because Kakashi himself thought that Obito’s new look made him look really badass. He had spent hours observing the scars on Obito’s face, had imprinted them into his mind with the sharingan – Obito’s departing gift for him – and that gave him a whole mass of other thoughts. 

“I’m glad you’re alive,” Kakashi whispered, and as his friend looked up again, he saw surprise written all over the black-haired boy’s features. 

“I – really?”

“Of course,” Kakashi answered instantly, his voice on the edge of breaking. How could he let it come this far? When did Kakashi decide that he couldn’t show any emotion whatsoever? When did he decide that he couldn’t show his comrades how much they meant to him? How much their well-being and life affected him?

Well, somewhere deep inside of him, Kakashi knew when exactly this had happened. 

It had happened as he was six years old and had found his father, his everything, lying on the floor of the living room in a puddle of his own blood. After he had to watch how his father had been shunned from shinobi and civilians alike for what he did – that he had chosen the life of his comrades over the success of the mission – and Sakumo had decided that he would be better off dead, no matter if Kakashi was now _all alone_. It had broken his father to the core and young Kakashi didn’t knew better – he couldn’t have known that comrades could mean this much to someone, that they were the glue holding a shinobi’s heart together. But they were exactly _that_ – the glue to all the broken pieces, the warmth which was thrumming through your veins and Kakashi deeply regretted the fact that he only came to understand this after it had been nearly too late. 

Obito was looking at him, tears slowly sliding down his cheeks, but for the very first time he didn’t wipe them away as Kakashi’s gaze landed on them. 

“Crybaby,” Kakashi murmured, but he knew that Obito saw his rude comment for what it was – Kakashi’s awkward way to let someone know that he cared. 

“Can I ask what changed your opinion, though?”

A sigh left Kakashi’s lips, his eyes finding the blue sky outside the window again, and he needed a few moments before he was ready to answer. He watched birds flying by, sorted out his thoughts and made himself a plan how to go about this. He was unsure if it would be good to go straight to the point.

“I – I saw you _die_ , Obito. And I don’t ever want to see it again. I cannot – I will not live with myself if I lose you or Rin.”

“We’re shinobi, that’s how life works, Kakashi.”

“I don’t want it to be that way. I can’t live like that any longer.”

Obito’s eyes grew wide at Kakashi’s words, wrinkles appearing on his forehead as he thought Kakashi’s words over. Kakashi didn’t have a problem with giving Obito the time to let his words sink in. Kami, he wasn’t even sure if the Uchiha would actually get the hidden meaning in his words. 

“You can’t mean –“

Kakashi pressed a hand on the other’s mouth before he could say it out loud. They couldn’t talk freely in the hospital, not with ANBU lurking behind every corner. He wasn’t ready to be imprisoned for treason, and he was sure that Obito wouldn’t like it very much, too. 

“Yes, I do.”

“What about _Rin_?”

“We’ll take her with us, of course,” Kakashi rolled his eyes. As if he would leave the brown-haired girl here, in a village full of corruption and where death was looming over every shinobi’s head. Kakashi wouldn’t lose a comrade, never again. An image of Minato-sensei came to mind, but Kakashi shook his head. Sensei was _strong_ , he had Kushina by his side and Kakashi was sure that the man would be able to look after himself. 

(And well, Kakashi was sure that Minato wouldn’t contemplate leaving the village he loved so much.)

Obito was studying him, Kakashi could feel his gaze roaming over his face and with bated breath he waited for his friends answer. Kakashi knew that Obito just lost his grandmother a few months ago, that he was as alone as Kakashi, with being the black sheep of the Uchiha clan, but – 

“Okay.”

Kakashi’s heartbeat skyrocketed, but he couldn’t stop a grin from spreading all over his face.

“Okay?”

“Kakashi,” Obito whispered, his hands finding Kakashi’s and squeezing. “You and Rin are my best friends. You’re everything I have. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

There were tears in both their eyes now.

___

Obito Uchiha was fucking done with the world in its whole. He was sweating – profusely, mind you – and he had sand in places you definitely didn’t want to have sand in. It was too fucking hot, his body longing for a bath in a cold river and he didn’t remember anymore why he thought it was a good idea to leave the village he once called his home.

It was only three days ago that they had left Konoha behind them, three days of running and anxious looks behind them over their shoulders. They knew that they were being followed, what they did was treason after all. Obito still couldn’t believe that they had _really_ done it.

He focused back on the path in front of him, his eyes getting stuck on the form of Kakashi, his best friend and the culprit of this shitty idea, and something like satisfaction swarmed through Obito’s body as he saw that the younger boy was sweating as much as himself. There were dark spots on Kakashi’s navy-blue shirt and as Obito turned on his sharingan – just because he could – he saw little drops of sweat running down Kakashi’s slender neck.

Muttered curses were startling Obito from his staring contest with the glistening sweat drops on Kakashi’s pale skin, and a chuckle escaped him at one of Rin’s more colorful curses. His other best friend was swearing since they crossed the border into the _Land of Wind_ , and it amused Obito to no end how Kakashi blushed every time he heard Rin cursing like a sailor. 

Obito didn’t know what happened that Rin was suddenly _herself_ in front of Kakashi, that she wasn’t trying anymore to impress him with giggles and fluttering eyelashes. Rin hadn’t answered him as he asked, and Kakashi had just looked at him with confusion shining in his visible eye. Obito decided that he wouldn’t risk losing his head about it. 

“Kakashi,” Rin interrupted her string of curses to address their former team-captain. “You think we could take a little break? I’m a bit dizzy.”

Kakashi looked back, his grey eye instantly filled with worry as he looked at Rin. He gave her a nod in answer, and Obito’s heart swelled at the sight. A few weeks ago, Kakashi wouldn’t have given in so easily, he wouldn’t have agreed to an early break on one of their missions.

But they weren’t on a mission, they were on the run – they were currently trying to lose their trail, so the ANBU of Konoha wouldn’t catch them and imprison them for treason. Obito was sure that they were already following them, that their absence had been noticed. The three of them were active shinobi after all, their names standing on rosters and Kakashi being a newly named Jonin.

It still blew Obito’s mind how far they have come – they had nearly reached their destination, a little fishing town at the coast, and he had thought that the _elite_ of Konoha would be good enough to catch up with two Chunin and a Jonin. But apparently, they were not, and it wasn’t as if Obito was particularly sad about it. 

They had left their uniforms and headbands behind, a few miles outside of the village, all three of them agreeing that it was just ridiculous to keep things which could expose them as missing-nin. _Missing-nin_ \- in a strange way Obito’s heart was beating faster at those words, his veins filling with excitement every time he registered that he was finally free. There wasn’t a clan at his back anymore, no hurtful words day in and day out about how much of a failure he was – 

He could do as he pleased now, and it only made it so much better that his two most precious persons were at his side. It definitely was an adventure, one he never dared dream about before. But now that he was actually experiencing it, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much he had _longed_ for this. 

In front of him, Kakashi suddenly turned to his right, and Obito was doing his best to keep up with the fast pace of his friend. Even if Kakashi was running more slowly than usual – the Hatake was still worried about Obito’s condition, even if Obito felt totally fine – he had a hard time keeping up and he knew that it was even more difficult for Rin. 

Obito had blushed furiously the first time Kakashi had said that he was worried about him, and he tried convincing his friend again and again that he was feeling good. He was feeling better than ever to be honest, and he knew that it had something to do with the shodaime’s cells Tsunade had used to heal him. 

Yes, his scars were hurting from time to time, especially in the unmerciful summer sun of wind-country, but it was nothing Rin couldn’t make better. His chakra was thrumming in his veins like never before, reminding him of spring, blooming flowers and calm ocean waves, and Obito couldn’t thank the Senju enough for saving him and giving him a second chance in life. 

After his almost death – or the unfortunate accident as Rin liked to call it, because she refused to say out loud that Obito nearly died – the sannin had stayed in Konoha to help Obito with the physical therapy he needed to be able to stay a shinobi. His body was now in top shape (to be honest he was even more fit than he ever was), but it was heartwarming nonetheless, that his friend cared so much about his well-being.

Kakashi even kept him company on his therapy sessions, Tsunade not having anything against it. The Senju and Hatake even seemed to be hitting it off really good and Obito had been happy that neither of them had sent him away, when they began talking about Kakashi’s father.

Apparently, Tsunade had been friends with Sakumo, and she wasn’t getting tired of sharing stories about Konoha’s _white fang_. It was nice to see how Kakashi was greedily drinking up every ounce of information he could get about his father, how his eye had sparkled as Tsunade told him how proud Sakumo had been of him. 

It all came to a screeching halt as Tsunade drank too much sake one night and told them that there were still living members of the Hatake clan out there. Obito could only look as Kakashi slowly broke down in his chair, as his pale features became nearly tangible and he had laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder in silent support. 

It was a relief as Kakashi suddenly straightened up again and began questioning the drunk Senju. He had supported him during his interrogation, had done his best to sneakily fill up Tsunade’s glass but sadly the woman hadn’t known much. Well, at least, she knew that the Hatake Clan belonged to the wandering folks, and that they could find more information in the ruins of Uzushio. 

The Uzumaki had been good friends with the wandering clan, and Tsunade told them – tears glistening in her honey-brown eyes – that the Hatake wouldn’t have hesitated to help them, would they have been around at the time Kiri decided to destroy the Land of Whirlpools. Tsunade had swayed on her seat as she whispered that the Hatake were more helpful and supportive than the Leaf ever could dream of being, and that was the moment both boys decided that Tsunade belonged into bed. They had brought her to her temporary home, embarrassingly singing as she ordered them to, and the two friends had been silent again as they had made their way to Kakashi’s own apartment. 

The silver-haired boy didn’t even make a comment about Obito staying with him, both of them not ready to be separated for too long. They had shared Obito’s hospital bed during his recovery, and they both knew that neither of them was ready to leave the other’s side yet. 

As they were lying in bed that night, their pinkies intertwined, Obito hadn’t been capable of holding it in any longer. 

“You – you wanna find them when we’re doing _it_?”

“I think so,” Kakashi murmured. “It would be nice to – to get to know family, I guess.”

“I can’t believe they’re belonging to the wandering folks.”

Kakashi had hummed, turning on his side to look at Obito.

“It makes sense, actually,” Kakashi had said between yawns. “With our wolf-heritage and all it isn’t as much of a surprise as you might think.”

Obito wanted to ask what Kakashi was meaning with _that_ , but as he had sorted out his thoughts his friend had already been asleep, soft snores filling the silent air around them. Obito had watched him then, the slow rise and fall of his chest and the peaceful expression on his otherwise closed up face and Obito knew then and there that he would follow his friend to the end of the world. 

“We can rest here,” Kakashi’s voice startled Obito from his memories, and with an exhausted sigh he followed the silver-haired boy into a cave. It was comfortably cooler than outside, and the three of them instantly sat down, their backs resting against the wall and their hands greedily fumbling for their waterfilled canteens.

“We should reach the little town in a few hours,” Kakashi murmured after a while, his eye stuck on a map in his lap. He didn’t say anything as Obito laid his head on his friend’s shoulder. Rin was stretched out on the ground, her own head lying on Obito’s thigh, and with a smile he noticed that he really wasn’t in love with her. He could remember the few times she touched him in the past, how his heart was nearly exploding and his face resembling a tomato, but it seemed like his unfortunate accident had changed them all, had let them see things they didn’t saw before.

Rin was still his best friend, one of the most important people in his life, and he couldn’t imagine living without her. But she was just that – a friend. Obito was immensely glad that he could finally accept that – their relationship had changed, their dynamic now reminding him of brother and sister and he wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. He had been so unbelievable happy as Rin instantly agreed on leaving the village with them as they asked her, because he wouldn’t want to live without her at his side. He still would have gone with Kakashi, but he would have missed her, and it wouldn’t have been _the same_.

“You should rest,” Kakashi whispered beside him, his own head lying on top of Obito’s and strands of silver hair tickling his nose. “You too,” the Uchiha murmured back with a yawn, his eyes already on the verge of closing. His last act of consciousness was intertwining his fingers with Kakashi’s, his other hand resting on Rin’s brown mop of hair, and seconds later Obito was out as a light.

∞

Needless to say, Obito Uchiha wasn’t a stranger to the concept of regretting one’s life choices. But this - _this_ actually was the cherry on top of his ice cream. Kakashi, Rin and he had reached the little fishing town a few days ago, had made their way through little streets and had just enjoyed the content atmosphere.

They bought some souvenirs – the most adorable shell-necklaces Obito had ever seen – and then they had made their way to the harbor to search for a boat which could take them to the _Country of Water_. To their utter delight they found a ship which would take them with on their first try.

The captain was a grumpy old man, but with a few smiles from Rin and pleading eyes from the boys he agreed to hire them. That was even better than they imagined because they didn’t have to pay a thing. Their savings weren’t much as it is, so the chance to work for their travel was a welcome one. 

What Obito hadn’t taken into the equitation was _what_ they actually had to do on the ship. They were scrubbing the deck on their knees, had to cook for the crew and you didn’t have to be a genius to see that Obito definitely wasn’t good at those tasks. 

At their first evening on the ship, Obito nearly blew up the caboose in his desperate attempt to fry some fish. He was banned from the kitchen after that. At their second evening, he slipped on the freshly cleaned wooden deck and fell into the sea. The crew wasn’t amused that they had to fish him out of the freezing water. Everyone, Obito included, were just hoping that he would be better at fishing. 

And he was doing exactly that at the moment, and so far, it didn’t look like he would kill himself anytime soon. Rin was hanging over the railing, like for the last six hours or so, and was puking her guts out. It came as a surprise to the three former shinobi that, apparently, Rin wasn’t made to live on a ship. In the beginning Kakashi and Obito even made some cracky jokes about it, but they stopped as soon as Rin threatened to puke on their freshly cleaned deck. 

One of the crew members was screaming at them to take in the net, and with a determined nod in Kakashi’s direction, they began with their task. Obito had never fished before in his life, and he wasn’t sure if he would do it ever again. 

The sea wasn’t calm in the slightest, water hitting his face again and again, and the net was cutting into his hands. He would even say that it was far more exhausting than a training session, and Obito had a newfound respect for the men who were doing this every day. What made matters even worse was, that Kakashi learned the secrets of fishing in no time. It was the same as they were kids and Sensei Minato had showed them new tricks with kunai or a new jutsu. Kakashi was always mastering it in no time, while Obito was looking from the sidelines. 

Kakashi was fishing as if he had never done anything else in his life and Obito _hated_ him. (He ignored the cackling voice in his head which was whispering that he was just jealous – he wasn’t.)

The two boys did as told and were rolling in the net, Obito’s eyes distracted by the flexing of Kakashi’s surprisingly buff bicep. When did his friend get so buff? It felt like just yesterday that Kakashi was smaller than him, all lanky limbs and tiny feet. Now he was a little bit taller than Obito, with broad shoulders and strong thighs, and Obito couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad thing. 

Because he just couldn’t stop looking, no matter how hard he tried, and he hated him even more for that. Fuck Kakashi and his good looks and his talent at everything. During his inner hate-speech Obito didn’t notice the fish which was slipping through a hole in the net. Only when it hit him right in the face with its ridiculously long tail did Obito realize that _maybe_ he should concentrate. 

The fish was landing on the deck while Obito’s cheek was burning from the hit and for a moment Obito and Kakashi just stared at one another over the net filled with fish. Kakashi was the first to crack, his visible eye sparkling with mirth before he broke down into full-blown laughter. 

Obito himself was rooted to the spot, his mouth agape. Not because of the fish who was just beating him up, but – 

He had never heard Kakashi laughing this freely before. In his peripheral vision Obito could see Rin turning in their direction, her mouth formed into an O-shape and wonder shining in her brown eyes. Kakashi’s laughter vibrated over the deck and through Obito’s veins and he was sure that he never heard something more beautiful. It sounded like chiming bells and joyful kids sprinting through the streets on a warm summer day, and the deep baritone of Kakashi’s voice was sliding over Obito’s body like dripping honey. 

It was in this exact moment that Obito realized for the first time how much they had _needed_ this. 

How much Kakashi had needed to step out of the shadows of his dead father, how much he had needed to free himself of the shackles of being a shinobi. Obito knew in this moment that he would never regret his choice to accompany Kakashi on the way to find his _home_. He knew that it should have always been like this, that they should have laughed with each other, that they should have made experiences like this instead of fighting on battlefields for old, greedy men. 

Rin made her way over to them, her face still pale and slightly green, but as she grabbed Obito’s hand and squeezed tightly, Kakashi still laughing in front of them and holding his stomach, Obito knew that from this point on, life could only get better and better. He couldn’t wait for it.

___

A year had passed since their defection from Konoha, as Kakashi was sitting in front of a fire with his two most precious people at his side. They were currently in the _Land of Whirlpools_ , the ruins of what was once Uzushio looming impressively in the distance. It still blew Kakashi’s mind on most days what absolute treasures they had found here.

It was like time was frozen on the island, as if it had just been yesterday that kids were running through the thick jungle, that farmers had collected colorful fruits from immensely high trees and that shinobi were running over the roofs of a bustling city. 

The three of them had spent days after their arrival with burying the dead, and in Kakashi’s mind it was a shame that no allied village had ever saw the need to do so. After they were done with the task, they had begun to search through the ruins, in hopes of finding anything that could help them find the Hatake Clan. 

And oh, what treasures they had found. Scroll after scroll after scroll was revealed to them as they carried away stone after stone, and all three of them had been fascinated by the sheer amount of knowledge no one had used after Uzushio had fallen. The three teens used their sweet time to unravel each and every secret the ruins held, and Kakashi was sure – now, a year later – that they wouldn’t have become the shinobi they were now, if not for their trip to a long-forgotten island. 

The first treasure they had found after beginning with their search, had been sealed scrolls about healing. Kakashi could still remember Rin’s shining eyes as she had read late into the night and the two boys had been more than ready to help her practice. And now, Kakashi was sure that his friend could easily surpass Tsunade in her knowledge and ability, should they ever decide to go on a battlefield again. 

(Which wasn’t very likely.)

After weeks of reading dusty scrolls, Rin had silently made her way into the thick jungle, a smile on her face and piece of pergament in hand. Kakashi and Obito didn’t saw her for days, but they had been sure that she wouldn’t leave them. And indeed, their brown-haired friend had been on a hunt for various herbs and fruits, and as she had finally made her way back to their camp, she had spent hours cursing over the caldron she had put over the fire.

Late into the night, as Kakashi and Obito had already dozed off, Rin had let out a squealing sound which had them instantly awake and on their feet. After they had made sure that no threat was to be seen anywhere near, they had thrown a glance into the kettle. They hadn’t understood in the slightest why Rin was this excited at the sight of a green slimy looking paste, but they weren’t ones for hasty judgement. 

Rin was grinning like a madwoman the whole time, blabbering on about things Kakashi couldn’t even begin to understand, but her honey-brown eyes had never stopped sparkling and that was enough. Even Obito had refrained from commenting as Rin had smeared the paste across his various scars. He had only scrunched up his nose in a really cute way and Kakashi had been to distracted by his friend’s face to listen to Rin’s words. To Obito’s delight, the paste had a wondrous effect on his scars – they had retreated, were fading on his skin so that you had to go _really, really_ near to see them and he never had to suffer from hurting scars again.

Needless to say, there was a lot of crying that night and Kakashi had thought his shirt would never dry again, but he couldn’t care, he couldn’t not grin when his best friend was smiling like the world belonged to him.

The next step in Rin’s self-imposed training had been Kakashi’s chakra reserves. And it wasn’t as if Kakashi wouldn’t trust his friend, but – 

He knew that if something would go wrong, he could never cast a jutsu again and it wasn’t something he wanted to experience. Kakashi loved to be a shinobi after all, loved the rippling waves of chakra rolling through his veins and most of all he loved the gift his best friend had given him.

But Rin and he knew both how much Obito’s sharingan drained Kakashi’s reserves, how it was constantly pulling and wanting more, more, more and he knew that she just wanted to help. And so, the two of them had sat over old scrolls night after night, while Obito was on cooking duty, and finally after weeks of deciphering unruly handwriting Rin had told him that she knew how to do it.

The process of expanding his reserves had been painful, Kakashi nearly losing his mind one or two times, but Obito had been holding his hand tightly, his thumb caressing the skin on the back of his hand, and Rin wouldn’t get tired of muttering encouraging phrases under her breath. It was dark as she was finally done, and Kakashi should have been exhausted and tired, but all he could feel was the steady thrumming of waves in his veins. He didn’t feel instantly drained anymore as pulled up the fabric which was hiding the red eye his friend had given him, and after laughing uncontrollably for a few minutes he had squeezed the air right out of his friend with a long-lasting hug.

With Rin being lost in her medical scrolls and daily hunts through the never-ending jungle, there wasn’t much else Kakashi and Obito could do than train. They had found some long forgotten jutsu’s in the ruins, scrolls about various techniques in taijutsu and every evening they were crawling into their sleeping bags, exhausted but _so, so happy_.

There was another positive aspect worth mentioning about their training sessions: Kakashi couldn’t not notice how unbelievable muscular Obito was getting, how well he grew into his broad stature over the months passing, and it became the highlight of Kakashi’s days to watch the Uchiha bathing in the little lake they had found during their first week on the island. 

Kakashi loved to watch the water droplets which were sliding over well-defined abs and tanned skin, loved to watch the ripple of muscles every time Obito stretched his limbs. His friend was beautiful, and it hit Kakashi in the face like a ton of bricks. Rin caught him once while he watched their friend bathing, but she hadn’t said anything. She had just patted him on the back, a too knowing smile on her face. 

And then – maybe half a year after their arrival – came _the day_. The day in which everything almost came to an abrupt end.

The three of them had explored the mountains at the coast, Kakashi and Obito bickering like always as Kakashi did one wrong step in the wrong direction. The rocks under his feet were giving in, they were crumbling and falling down, down, down and moments later Kakashi was falling, too. The last he could see were Rin’s and Obito’s shocked faces, his heart hammering in his chest as he thought that this was how his life ended –

The sharingan in the left side of his face burned like a raging inferno and for just a second Kakashi thought that Obito was suddenly right in front of him, but that couldn’t be - _how_ \- and the world around Kakashi went black. 

As Kakashi came to himself hours later, stars shining on the dark night sky, Obito threw himself at him, like Kakashi had done to the Uchiha so many months ago, and Kakashi couldn’t do more than to brush his fingers through unruly black hair. Obito was crying, muttering under his breath but Kakashi wanted nothing more than to ask how he had survived.

After Rin finally peeled the crying Uchiha from his chest, they explained that Kakashi’s almost death awakened Obito’s mangekyou. It also explained the burning Kakashi had felt in his eye right after his fall and apparently, Obito could make himself intangible, now and was able to materialize wherever he wanted. For that matter, Kakashi could do this, technically, now too. 

The two boys were spending the next weeks with throwing things at each other, with trying to materialize anywhere on the island and Rin treated their wounds when they couldn’t evade an incoming blow.

In hindsight, it surprised Kakashi a little bit that he didn’t searched for scrolls with hints about his family sooner. But maybe – maybe he had needed this, this exploration of being free before he could come to terms with the fact that he still had family out there. It had always been just his dad and him, and after his father’s death it had been Kakashi and the shadow of a dead loved one. 

Kakashi and his friend couldn’t find much in the ruins. There were old alliance contracts, but nothing gave them a hint about the whereabouts of the Hatake Clan. They were belonging to the wandering folks after all, not staying in one place for too long and Kakashi knew that they’ll just have to search for them, no matter what a pain in the ass it’ll be with trying to keep undetected from shinobi of the Leaf village.

And that’s what they were planning right now – their search through the elemental nations, beginning with _Tea Country_. They wanted to start tomorrow with their journey, and they had spent their day with sealing away the treasures they had found during their stay on the island. Dinner was already finished and now, they were just lazing around and staring at the stars in the sky.

“Say, Kakashi –“ Obito’s voice broke the silence around them. “You told me, back in Konoha that is, that the Hatake are descendants from wolves?”

Kakashi only hummed in answer, his gaze still stuck on the constellations above their heads. 

“But how do you know?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Kakashi was sitting up, his eyes searching for the forms of his friends in the crackling light of the fire. Rin and Obito were staring at him questioningly and only then did Kakashi realize that they never saw _his face_. Well, no time like the present. Kakashi hooked a finger behind the piece of cloth in front of his face and pulled it down. He presented them a playful grin. 

Kakashi watched as Rin’s eyes grew as wide as saucers, while Obito just stared, gaping like a fish. Kakashi’s cheeks grew hot under their gazes and the grin vanished from his face. He hadn’t expected them to be this shocked, and nervously he rubbed his neck with a hand. Rin and Obito were still staring at him and it were _just teeth_ , the kami be damned.

“You have wolf-teeth,” Obito said breathlessly and was that – was that adoration in his voice? Rin was giggling, petting Kakashi’s head a few times before she excused herself to wash up their plates from dinner. Obito was crawling over to Kakashi now, his dark eyes shining with curiosity as he was still looking at Kakashi’s mouth.

“Can I touch them?”

“Erm – sure?”

Obito was vibrating with excitement like a kid on Christmas eve and Kakashi couldn’t help but to roll his eyes at the display. The Uchiha came even nearer until he was nearly sitting in Kakashi’s lap and fuck, but Kakashi all but forgot that his mask not only hid is unusual sharp teeth, but repressed his heightened senses, too. 

From this close, Obito’s scent was invading his nose like a summer storm. He smelled slightly sweaty, musky and salty, and he could nearly taste the sweetness of Obito’s breath on his lips. Kakashi’s friend just smelled like a heavenly mixture of cinnamon and salty ocean air and it was so _unbelievable lovely_ -

Kakashi’s fingers were digging into the earth beneath them, a desperate attempt to stop himself from grabbing Obito’s shirt to haul him even closer and to kiss him senseless.

Meanwhile, Obito was touching his sharp teeth with his index-finger, a little squeak escaping his lips as he cut himself. 

“Be careful,” Kakashi muttered, but obediently he opened his mouth again, so Obito could continue with his exploration. The Uchiha was prodding at his teeth and mouth for what felt like hours, but as he finally finished his eyes were shining with satisfaction. The two of them were still eerily close to each other, Kakashi’s senses still flooded to the brim with Obito’s scent and that was his only excuse for what happened next.

Kakashi was leaning forward, his eyes nearly closed and moments later his lips were pressed against Obito’s. To Kakashi’s immense surprise he felt Obito’s mouth pressing back, almost desperately and with too much force, and he realized that they were _kissing_.

He was kissing Obito, Obito kissed him back and – it was beautiful. 

Kakashi had never kissed anyone before and in this moment, he couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else. Obito’s lips were slightly chapped but soft at the same time, and he was tasting as sweet as he smelled. He would never get enough of this. 

An amused sounding cough interrupted them, let them jump back and away from each other, and Kakashi’s gaze fell on Rin, who had a shit eating grin on her face. Mentally, Kakashi groaned, because he was sure that they would never hear the end of it. 

“As much as I hate to interrupt you two, we should sleep. We have a long way to travel tomorrow.”

Both boys nodded, Obito with a sigh and their cheeks flushed red. They crawled into their respective sleeping bags and as Kakashi watched the stars above, Obito’s hand intertwined with his, he couldn’t help but think that he would never get tired of tasting freedom.

___

Obito had just celebrated his nineteenth birthday as the three of them decided to take a break from their search for the Hatake Clan. They were currently in the _Land of Lightning_ , staying at an Inn next to one of the hundreds of hot springs the country had to offer.

Obito and his friends had saved quite a lot of money, thanks to their various workings they did over the last years. Obito would have never thought that he would enjoy living like this: Travelling for days on end, through forests and deserts and rice fields, just to take a stop in a small town and to offer their help wherever it was needed. 

But – he didn’t miss the life of a shinobi in the slightest and he knew that his friends felt the same way. 

They were still training, some habits were hard to break after all, and all of them were in top shape, but it was strangely satisfying to use their chakra for hard work while repairing houses or going on a hunt instead of using it for shedding blood. He didn’t miss the fights and month-long missions even if they had their fair share of fights, too. The elemental nations were full of various groups of bandits and people who just didn’t know when to stop being greedy, and Obito, as well as Kakashi and Rin, had a fun time with putting them back into their places.

And now, they had finally decided to enjoy themselves for a bit. They had found information about the whereabouts of Kakashi’s clan and apparently, they were currently staying in a small town in one of the mountain ranges of Lightning Country. Kakashi, even if giddy with excitement that he was finally near his family, had asked them to take a much-needed break before he met the remnants of his family. Obito and Rin could understand him perfectly, both of them knowing that Kakashi wasn’t good with emotions and needed time to sort himself.

A sigh left Obito’s lips as he was leaning back against the warm stones behind him, the warm water of the hot springs rippling around him. He could hear the sliding sound of the door as someone was joining him outside, the soft padding sounds as naked feet were tapping over the stony ground. From the rhythmic pattern of feet alone, Obito could tell that it was Kakashi joining him. He let his eyes closed even if he itched to see the naked body of his friend. 

They had not kissed again after that fateful last night in the _Land of Whirlpools_ , in which Rin and Obito had learned what was hidden behind Kakashi’s mask, and it became harder everyday to not just jump the other man and to demand a few more heated kisses. They were still holding hands regularly, Obito’s heart bursting at the seams every time he felt Kakashi’s skin against his own, but he didn’t know if Kakashi felt the same way.

He had asked Rin for help, but his friend had only shaken her head with badly hidden pity in her eyes, but – 

Obito wasn’t good at showing his feelings. At least not _that_ kind of feelings. And what if Kakashi didn’t reciprocate his feelings? If the kiss on the island Obito came to love, had just been a spur of the moment thing?

Little waves were lapping at Obito’s naked chest as the Hatake was sitting down next to him, and a pleasant shiver ran down his spine as he felt his friend’s bare arm pressed against his own. They were always sitting like this – tightly pressed against each other, sharing body heat wherever they went and Obito didn’t want this to end. 

He wouldn’t feel complete without Kakashi’s presence at his side and the fear of losing all of this when Obito would confess his feelings was gnawing on his heartstrings. It was too much of a risk Obito wasn’t ready to take.

He focused back on listening to Kakashi’s relaxed breathing pattern and Obito couldn’t stop his hand from searching for Kakashi’s. They sat like this for a long time, both men silently enjoying the hot water with their fingers intertwined.

“I never want this to end,” Kakashi whispered into the silence between them, and Obito opened his eyes to take a look at his friend.

“What do you mean?”

“This,” Kakashi breathed out, his own eyes opening. Obito was instantly getting caught in a mismatched gaze, his insides squirming as Kakashi just looked at him. Something was shining in the depth of the eyes Obito loved, but he couldn’t even begin to decipher what it was.

“You and me being here, travelling through the world with Rin at our side, its –“ Kakashi was furrowing his brows now. “It’s all I ever wanted, and I am – _happy_.”

Obito could feel his eyes burning, Kakashi’s words hitting him directly in the heart. If someone would have told his kid self that Kakashi Hatake would be happy travelling the world with his teammates, Obito would have laughed right into their face. But now? Now he could see it – how Kakashi was smiling every day, how his eyes were sparkling whenever he looked at them and Obito could feel his friend’s happiness deep in his own bones. 

His own giddy feelings were bubbling up now at Kakashi’s words and before Obito could even think about it, he was leaning into his friend’s space and pressed his lips against Kakashi’s.

Kakashi gasped against his mouth, his fingers burying themselves in Obito’s damp hair and holding him in place as he wanted to retreat. The butterflies in Obito’s stomach were dancing uncontrollably, his skin was prickling where they touched and Kakashi’s lips were still as soft as all those years ago. 

They separated after some time, their foreheads still touching and Obito got a good look at Kakashi’s sharp teeth as his lips were turning into a bright grin.

“I wanted to do this again for a long time now,” Obito confessed, his eyes squeezed shut again and his voice nothing more than a fleeting whisper.

“We can do it again if you like,” Kakashi murmured back softly and surprised Obito opened his eyes again. The mismatched gaze looking back at him was shining as bright as the summer sun, and Obito could feel the blood rushing through his veins. Instead of answering, Obito just kissed him again and he could feel Kakashi’s silent laughter vibrating in his chest.

Before Obito could even notice what was happening, Kakashi had already pulled him onto his lap, Obito’s legs straddling the other man’s and they were kissing again. He could feel the heat of Kakashi’s skin against his own, could feel the softness and strength in every curve of the other’s body and his own body was screaming for _more, more, more_. Obito pressed himself even closer until all he could feel was Kakashi’s heart beating in sync with his own.

With newly gained courage from Kakashi’s fingers brushing down the length of his spine, Obito nipped on the other man’s bottom lip with his teeth. Kakashi was instantly opening his mouth and their tongues met for the first time. Their mutual exploration of each other’s mouth was a soft caress, something tender and sweet, until suddenly it was everything but. 

It almost seemed as if they were battling, their bodies grinding against each other desperately, and Obito was getting more and more dizzy by the minute. Kakashi’s hands were everywhere – brushing through his hair and trailing over his collarbones, stroking over his thighs and digging into his hips. Obito loved the feeling of Kakashi surrounding him, it was filling his veins with fire and his heart with warmth and he asked himself how he could have ever lived without _this_.

The sliding sound of the door let them stop in their explorations, but Kakashi was grabbing for his hand as Obito slid down from his lap to sit beside him again.

“Would you – would you sleep in my room tonight?”

Obito watched his friend fidgeting – looked at cherry-red cheeks and swollen lips, at tousled hair and trembling fingers still holding his.

“I would love to, but –“

“But?”

“If we share a bed tonight, I’ll want this for the rest of my life.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kakashi breathed out, his lips turning into a smile and Obito could feel an answering smile forming on his own.

They made their way out of the water and they were giggling as they dried each other off. Obito felt as if he was floating into space, his body light and filled with giddiness, and so, so warm and as Kakashi was stopping in front of his room and pulled him into another toe-curling kiss, Obito knew that this man, _his friend_ , was his home.

Obito realized that his home had never been a village or a clan, but it was this – travelling through the nations with his best friends at his side, the feeling of Kakashi’s calloused fingers intertwined with his and listening to his breathless laughter. It was jumping into a field of blooming flowers in the summer sun, it was kissing the man he had loved for years now and it was brushing Rin’s hair while they were camping in the middle of nowhere. 

His home was Kakashi’s soft smile, the endless depth of his mismatched eyes shining with love and adoration, and it was desperate hands clumsily taking him out of his clothes.

They landed on the bed in a tangled heap of limbs, their knees bumping into each other, but neither of them cared. Obito let his hands explore Kakashi’s pale skin, his chiseled abs and his ticklish sides, and they kissed and kissed and kissed, until Obito grew bolder.

His hands were roaming over strong thighs, his thumbs digging into soft flesh as his tongue was trailing along an invisible path on Kakashi’s throat. Kakashi was moaning beneath him, a needy breathless sound which Obito longed to hear again, and Obito nearly shed a few tears as he took Kakashi’s hard length in hand and the silver-haired man’s back arched from the bed beautifully.

Kami, but Kakashi was so pretty like this, all pale skin with blossoming flowers from Obito’s lips, and Obito wanted to touch him forever but Kakashi was squirming on the sheets, was begging for him to give him _more, more, more_ and who was Obito to deny him his wish?

Obito was hovering over the man he loved more than anything else in the world, their bodies slotting together like two missing pieces of a puzzle, and Kakashi’s sweet, hot breath was ghosting over his neck as Obito grinded down against him again and again.

“I love you,” words sweeter as anything Obito ever tasted were breathed against the shell of his ear, and his hand was reaching between them, taking them both in a tight grip to stroke and tease and touch until they were both crying out loudly, spurts of white adorning Kakashi’s flushed chest.

“I love you, too,” Obito murmured, as he was nestled against his friend under the sheets, his nose pressed against the other’s neck and their hands, once again, intertwined. Kakashi was humming in answer, his fingers squeezing Obito’s tightly, and they fell asleep like that – in each other’s arms and with smiles playing on their lips.

___

Kakashi was comfortably sitting in his boyfriend’s lap, Obito’s long, muscled arms encircling his waist. They were watching the orange glow of the sunset over the calm, glistening sea and warmth spread through Kakashi’s body as he listened to the rolling sound of waves and felt Obito’s nose pressed against his neck.

The two of them were back on the island, their camp once again near the ruins of Uzushio, and they both had missed the depth of the jungle and the place where they had shared their first kiss, all those years ago. It had been their first temporary home after leaving the place which had held nothing more than bad memories for the both of them, and Kakashi knew that they would always come back here.

His bare feet were digging into the sand beneath them as he pressed himself closer against Obito’s broad chest, his boyfriend chuckling at his neediness _to be close_ and littering the exposed skin of his neck with featherlight kisses. Kami, but he loved this man and his musky scent, he loved what they had and what was sure to come in the future. 

“We should visit Rin soon,” Kakashi murmured, Obito humming approvingly against his skin. Their friend had stayed with Kakashi’s family, was travelling through the nations with a husband and wolves at her side, and Kakashi couldn’t be happier for her even if he tried. She had found the same kind of belonging and happiness as Kakashi shared with Obito, and it was all Kakashi had ever wanted for the three of them.

They had met the Hatake Clan a few days after their vacation at the hot springs in the _Land of Lightning_ , and the wandering clan had taken them in instantly. They had travelled with them, Kakashi learning about his clan’s secrets and his heritage. He had gotten his own wolf-summons, his dogs now belonging to the beautiful man at his side, and Kakashi had enjoyed every minute he could spent with his family. 

He had come to love them, but after a few months he had grown restless, his heart yearning to be free again. He had needed a few days to gain the courage to speak with Obito and Rin about it, and he had cried as they had shown him nothing but acceptance and love. 

Obito had stayed at his side, their fingers intertwined like always as they said their farewells to Rin and Kakashi’s family. Rin was happy in the midst of her friend’s clan, and it had made their parting a little easier. She had found a home at the side of a wild man with even sharper teeth than Kakashi’s own, was helping people with her medical knowledge all over the world and Kakashi wished her nothing than the best. 

They were visiting her often, her monthly letters giving them the knowledge they needed to find her, and he was excited to see her again. 

Obito and himself had found a home in each other. They were still wandering through the countries, were helping those in need and slept under the shining night-sky. They were enjoying every drop of freedom they could get and Kakashi was sure that he found his answer to the question what life was about. 

“This island almost feels like home, doesn’t it?”

A smile was twitching on Kakashi’s lips at Obito’s words and he pressed a lingering kiss on the other man’s cheek before answering.

“Home is wherever I’m with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> You‘re as enamored with KakaObi as I am? We can gush about it in the _Flying Thunder God_ discord server. We’re a nice bunch and you can join us [here.](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%253A%252F%252Fdiscord.gg%252Fwy4tfhc&t=ZTMzMTZkZDU3OTFiZjgwMGM4MmFlODFlM2Q1NTU0MTQ4OWI5NTIxYyxhMjVmZWIzMGJlMGExZWY0ZmM2ZDRjZjU5ZjliZGZmNzU0ZjI3OWRk&ts=1608368401)


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